Family - A social institution found in all societies that unites people in cooperative groups to care for one another, including any children.
  • A family is the main focus of Modern Family. All of the main characters are related to each other, and they work together to meet the needs of one another. They support and give advice to each other.
Marriage - A legal relationship, usually involving economic cooperation, sexual activity, and childbearing.
  • A marriage is demonstrated in the Dunphy family. Phil and Claire are married, and they have three children together. They share financing and work together to support their family.
Nuclear family - A family composed of one or two parents and thier children; also known as a conjugal family.
  • All three families in modern family would be considered nuclear families. The Dunphy house has Claire and Phil along with their children, the Pritchett house has Jay and Gloria along with their son Manny, and the Tucker/Pritchett house has Cam and Mitchell along with their daughter Lily.
Cohabitation - The sharing of a household by an unmarried couple.
  • Cohabitation is demonstrated by Cam and Mitchell. Although they are a couple, they are not married. However, they still live together. They cohabitate.
Kinship- A social bond based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption.
  • Lily is an excellent example of this. Lily is the adopted daughter of Cameron and Mitchell.
Homogamy- Marriage between people with the same social characteristics
  • Phil and Claire are two people that have the same social characteristics, which most likely has a small role in why they got married.
Exogamy- Marriage between people of different social categories.
  • Gloria and Jay are a great example of this. They both come from different social backgrounds with different social categories. Gloria was poor while Jay grew up fairly wealthy.
Profane- Included as an ordinary part of everyday life.
  • Every morning the Dunphy family gets together and eats breakfast. This is a part of their everyday lives.
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The entire cast of the show makes up a family.
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The bond Mitchell and Cam have with their adoptive daughter, Lily, is an example of kinship.